Hi Folks, I recently ordered a couple of kits from the US and was surprised to get a bill for $195 C from the UPS guy. Brokerage and Duty took $125 of my hobby allowance and the dreaded GST accounted for the rest.
So, $111 C dollars for each kit, shipping at $70 C and nearly $200 C at the border.
I’m paying about 120% of the model’s cost to get it here. My question is;
Would it be less expensive to buy from the manufacturer in Vietnam?
Any knowledge, views or opinions are welcome.
I assume you are talking about Hobby Link kits? Yes, it is most definitely cheaper to buy direct from Vietnam (or even from BNA in Australia). Shipping is more reasonable and it’s hit or miss if you get charged any taxes (never any duty) by Canada Customs. I’ve ordered direct from Hobby Link numerous times with no issues. And if you compare prices based on current exchange rates, you will find them all comparable.
I never order anything from the US unless there is absolutely no alternative - shipping costs have skyrocketed and you will get charged taxes (and the processing fee) every time, and now it seems like they are charging duty as well, as you have noted.
I order from everywhere overseas and probably average a package every two weeks - Japan, Australia, Vietnam, China, all over Europe, etc. and I probably get charged taxes by Customs about 30-50% of the time. The only time I’ve paid duty or a tariff is something from Russia (but even this is not consistent).
Maybe but feels like a Canadian tariff on US goods. Might be less or more for another country. Be interesting to see what others say.
Maybe it is this?
In my experience the shipping method is usually the biggest issue. If the seller will ship USPS the real price can be pretty reasonable. Shipping might be the same (and are usually lower) but you won’t be receiving the surprise FedEx/UPS invoice 4-6 weeks later with $20+ charges for brokerage/disbursement/administration/handling etc. on an item requiring $0 duty…and, as you’ve experienced, the price at the door goes way up if there is an actual duty or tariff involved.
Buying models from almost anywhere else in the world is usually cheaper by the time the courier company fees are included (though Britain is trying very hard to catch up).
Agreeing with Jon above, BNA Model World is a personal favourite having good prices on a very good selection and quick, reasonable shipping and I rarely receive a customs invoice. Purchases from the EU, Asia and occasionally Africa also arrive for a reasonable cost and no fuss.
If time isn’t an issue your LHS or a Canadian online shop will usually be happy to try and get what you want and again no customs hassles.
Unless you have an ethical dilemma with denying courier company shareholders the chance to do their Happy Dance it’s worth avoiding the US hobby shops. It’s a real pity as there are lots of great American shops and hobbyists worth supporting.
Good luck.
Cheers,
Colin
Oops, somehow I replied to the wrong post. I meant to reply to the OP, sorry.
I am going to pump BNA for shipping to Canada. Canada has a free trade agreement with Australia so there is no tax and their delivery is very quick!
Even prior to this tariff bungle ordering from the US was prohibitive for me. US customs charging originating country tariffs (double taxed), then customs, then shipping…not worth it.
"– No International Orders until further notice. —
The Post office Raised Prices and added a middle man to international shipping.
So now it cost me $5 to send to a Global Ship Center and then an outragous amount for then to re-label the package and send to you.
I cannot justify sending a $10 set with $18 Postage,
If you want to get a bigger order Read Below!
If you want a few items or have a few friends that need something,
you can Email Me and we can see if the order makes sense for you.
Do not buy anything on the site,
I cannot add postage or charge your cards for the difference."
This was a notice posted by Value Gear (US shop) a few years ago - long before “Tariff Wars”. Explains why international shipping costs had already doubled! 
Yeah, unfortunately that sounds about right, UPS brokerage fees can be brutal. Buying directly from Vietnam might save you a bit if the seller uses a postal service instead of a courier, since postal imports usually have lower handling fees. But you’d still need to pay GST and possibly duty, depending on how it’s declared. If the manufacturer offers shipping by regular post (like EMS), that’s usually the most cost-effective option, even if it takes longer
/ Mark
Hey Mark, I’m waiting on a package from Hobby Link, coming Viet Post. Be interesting to see if there’s any additional charges, but damned if I can read the tracking note doc. I get the # goes in the top column but what do they need in the second column?
My name maybe, but Khang is trying to find out for me.
Indeed Barney, got an M127 from BNA the other day. CanPost delivered to my door with a smile - and no charges.
Great service from Down Under! And their customer service/contact is excellent.
Still waiting on that double pod and refueling set from HobbyLink. Cant make sense of the shipping information but Khang says it left there Oct 10.
Getting a little worried I must admit.
Anyone know of any delays from CanPost’s side?
Back log from the strike maybe? If you are outside the urban centres mail is a wee bit slower, but waiting since Oct 10…. ya, no…. that’s a bit much.
You’re getting worried after only a month? I would not worry. I’ve ordered from Khang many times and it always arrives (and just placed another order). If he sent it Vietnam Post, you should be able track it on their website, but since Canada Post doesn’t have a recipricol agreement with Vietnam Post, it typically does not show up on their tracking app. I’ve had things take upwards of two months, even coming air mail.
As well, Canada Post is still on strike with rotating strikes. So if the warehouse at YVR is on strike at anytime for even a day, things could well be delayed for an unknown length of time.
Thanks, that’s very reassuring to know. I was originally buying from Wanamaker but then import duties etc eventually made that impractical. I’ve found BNA to be very efficient and cost-effective but thought I’d give Khang a try.
Glad you’ve had good experiences with him, incidentally I just read your earlier post re your first dealings with Hobby Link. That 2 week door to door delivery you got then is obviously a thing of the past……..
Cheers
I use this app to track my shipments https://www.aftership.com/ it’s pretty good. 90% of the time it picks the correct shipper automatically. It’s not the greatest at tracking Amazon stuff though.
Thanks Steve, I signed up on a trial basis but I haven’t got enough info to make a search. Tried my name, address, his co. details etc but no go.
Appreciate your help though.